


The Road Not Taken

by KnightRepentant



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Betrayal, Colonization, Exploration, Family Drama, First Contact, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-15 16:22:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11809713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnightRepentant/pseuds/KnightRepentant
Summary: When ark 'Hyperion' arrives in the Andromeda galaxy, it is not over the ravaged Habitat 7, but the neon-jungle moon of Habitat 3. All three of the Ryder clan awake from cryostasis, to face the trials of this strange galaxy.





	1. Off the Edge of the Map

Sanah felt the music thrumming through the floor underfoot long before she reached the hatch. The bulkhead walls on either side seemed almost to be reverberating before the storm of noise blasting from the other side. A deep breath served to steel her for the assault. A cheerful door-chime went entirely unheard by all of creation and Sanah rocked back on her heels as the shockwave struck. The opposite wall was wholly taken up by a massive vidscreen, upon which a digital crowd cheered and jumped to the beat. Between her and the screen was a skinny figure thrashing about and shredding on a holographic guitar. Belting the lyrics to AC/DC’s ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ at the top of his lungs, he went entirely oblivious to her entrance. Sanah watched him gyrate for a few moments more, he was enjoying himself after all, but then raised her Omni-tool to the screen. Screen and song all winked out and his last yelled note wilted in the air. Her brother spun on the spot and yanked his headphones down to his neck,

                “Uh, high-score? Ruined?” Sanah smirked,

                “Uh, late?” Khalad didn’t reply, but his blank expression told her enough, “Dad wants us down at the shuttles? Haven’t you checked your comms tab? I’ve been messaging you for twenty minutes.” She watched his sheepish expression deepen as he scrolled through the backlog of missed messages on his Omni-tool. “As I said, you’re late. He sent me to fetch you.” Khalad winced. She hadn’t added a tone of threat to her last statement, there was no need. “Put some pants on and meet us down there,” Sanah threw a pair that had lain waiting over the back of a chair, “Wouldn’t want you getting left behind, hmm?”  He waved a middle finger at her back and struggled into some clean clothes.

                Duffel bag bouncing against his back, Khalad crashed to a halt at the checkpoint to the shuttle bay. The attendant took the bag without a word and set to checking its contents against the manifest,

                “Four sets of Initiative standard-issue deck-wear, one photo-frame with OSD, one standard Omni-tool…one copy of Guitar God 19,” she glanced sideways at Khalad but kept her silence, “and one patterned neckerchief. All accounted for, good luck and safe journey.” Khalad grinned and snatched up the bag. Shuttle engines purred as he skidded to a halt beside the open hatch. The grin he wore turned eggshell-brittle when he caught sight of his father’s face. He kept his eyes on the floor as the kick of acceleration pressed him back into his seat. From the window, Khalad saw the expanse of grey dust falling away, the moonbase shrinking to a white speck. But what lay ahead soon eclipsed all else. Sleek and shining, the _Hyperion_ waited in its cradle. Sanah looked over his shoulder, her eyes just as wide, and her smile just as broad. They shared a glance, the excitement bubbling out of him as a brief laugh. _This was going to be so much fun_.

 

\--

 

A muffled voice struggled to rouse Khalad from his rest. The return to consciousness felt like dragging himself out of a tar pit. Sensations awoke one by one, he felt the frigid air prickling his skin, the ache of his bones and a…lightness of movement. It was true, though the restraints held him close, Khalad could feel no pull of gravity. Every small motion of his head sent his thick curly hair swaying like the fronds of an anemone. Dim light filtered through the pod’s single pane of glass, flashes of orange that told him things were not as they should be.

                “The Hyperion is currently experiencing a temporary loss of gravity, please remain in your pod until a crew member comes to assist you.” Over and over the pod’s VI assured him of a rescue, minute after minute, and so he waited. After listening to the VI’s spiel for the hundredth time, Khalad could bear it no more. _There has to be an emergency release, right?_ Cold hands probed the edges of the pod door,

                “Come on, come _on_ where are you?” He muttered, until his fingers brushed what felt like a lever at his feet. He arched his back down, but the restraints locked and held him fast with his stretching fingers just unable to grasp the lever. Khalad growled a string of curses and prodded the internal control panel for the release function,

                “Passengers are reminded that pod restraints are necessary to prevent injury in the event of turbulence…” the VI tried to warn him. Soon he was freed and Khalad immediately grasped the lever. His cold-numbed hands had only a fraction of their usual strength, however. As he made to rip it from the metal, the entire ark seemed to lurch and Khalad’s head crashed against the cryo-pod door. His cry echoed in the stillness as he and the door tumbled gracelessly across the cryo-bay. A string of expletives he would never dare utter in his father’s hearing coloured the air as he halted his flight with one hand, the other clutching at his brow. Squinting against the flashing amber alarms, he saw the other cryo-pods resting undamaged and undisturbed. Save for his own, and the one beside it.

 

_Sanah_ …

 

_So where was she? Where was Dad?_ The bridge. If he could get there…

                “SAM?” All that answered was the muted buzz of static. _On my own, then_. He could always go to the SAM node; the A.I. could assess the situation much more swiftly than he. Hand over hand, Khalad brought his feet to the floor, that his mag-boots might get their grip. The door at the end of the bay still worked, at least, though the rest of the Hyperion seemed to be operating on emergency power. The corridor beyond was deserted, save for a few loose articles hanging in the air. He remembered the route to the SAM node…sort of. _This would be much easier if I could ask SAM_ , he thought, _where even is he, anyway?_

                His progress was cautious, wary, for it seemed that the whole ark sat empty. The atrium felt more like a tomb or crypt, and Khalad shivered in the stillness. His eyes were drawn to the windows overhead, and the view that lay beyond. A vast amber orb dominated his vision, a gas giant glowing under the eye of a blue-white star. Between there and the ark, a bright sphere of blue, green and white was growing larger as the minutes ticked by. Khalad kept up his pace, the click-click of his mag-boots loud in his head. _That wasn’t Habitat 7 out there, where the hell are we?_ He had to find Sanah, or Captain Dunn, anybody, and get the ark back on course.

                Lights In the forward section shone far brighter than elsewhere. Panels shimmered and winked at him and the alarms had been stilled. At last he found the corridor he was looking for. Once again he found a darkened room, filled only with the restful purr of server banks and furnished only with a glass cylinder at its heart.

                “Hello, Khalad.” The young man smiled, relieved,

                “Hey SAM, glad you’re okay.” The shifting vortex of data became threaded with bright cerulean,

                “Likewise, though I must apologise; my link with your implant was disrupted by the anomaly that struck the _Hyperion_ off course. You should re-establish the connection swiftly at my console, the ark is still in danger.” Questions thronged Khalad’s brain but he hurried to the console and called up the required functions, soon a loading bar winked into being.

                “What’s going on, SAM? Did we make it to Heleus?” Spots of indigo flared within SAM’s matrix,

                “Affirmative, ark _Hyperion_ arrived in Andromeda with all hands accounted for, but struck an unknown cosmic phenomenon almost immediately after exiting FTL. Link is 50% established.” Khalad’s dark eyes grew even darker as his brow furrowed,

                “We hit…what? Some kind of space speed-bump?”

                “More like a road-block, but yes. The phenomenon is immense, my scans are detecting it in every Golden World system. It appears to be composed of dark energy that is continuously generating unstable mass effect fields, but I will need a closer look to give more detailed analyses. For now, the _Hyperion_ is performing a semi-controlled orbital insertion around the nearby planet, which records show is the Initiative-designated Habitat 3.” A shiver ran through every nerve in Khalad’s body, “link re-established,” SAM’s voice chimed inside his head, “performing physical diagnostic. Khalad, I’m reading damage from a head injury, moderate bruising, you should see Lexi as soon as possible.” The reminder caused his temple to throb painfully,

                “Sure, SAM, but first I have to find Sanah and Dad.” Before SAM could respond, another voice echoed throughout the ark,

                “Warning. Gravity systems re-engaging.” The wonderful lightness was struck down and Khalad wobbled on numb legs for a moment.

                “Your sister is assisting Lexi in the med-bay. The Pathfinder is on the…” But Khalad was already running.

                “Sanah!” That was the worried yell that preceded his crashing like an out-of-control locomotive into the med-bay. A half-dozen heads swivelled to look at him, and a smiling blue face swept up to him. Gentle hands turned his head to bring his bruised temple to the light,

                “So how did this happen, hmm?”

                “Turbulence and a cryo-pod door,” Lexi smirked,

                “SAM warned me you were clumsy but I expected you to at least make it off the ark before I had to patch you up.” Shocked indignation fluttered across Khalad’s face,

                “He said that I…SAM you said that I was clumsy?!”

                “Your rate of accidental self-injury is roughly 30% above average, I felt it prudent to relay this information to the medical team.” Lexi was chuckling as she sprayed a thin layer of medi-gel over the damaged skin,

                “now just try to avoid any low-hanging door-frames for a few hours, alright?” The boy was practically vibrating with impatience now,

                “I’ll be careful, I promise, but I need to find…” Lexi tilted her head in deepest scepticism,

                “Don’t bullshit me, Ryder. Sanah’s over in the back, putting Liam back together. Another one who flings himself about without a care.” Khalad dashed away, leaving Lexi shaking her head in his wake, “bloody road-runner.”

                Liam raised a hand at his approach,

                “Hey Ryder, you took a battering too?” Khalad flashed him a grin,

                “Yup, had to take out a batarian stowaway, Glasgow-style.” Liam scoffed,

                “Yeah, and I found a live varren in the fridge. Glad you’re up, though,” Khalad nodded with his hands on his hips, then remembered why he was there in the first place,

                “Sanah!”

                “Nice to be acknowledged, finally,” his sister answered with a wry grin, “welcome to Andromeda, little brother. You sleep in again?” His mirth was replaced by confusion,

                “Yeah, I had to break out of my pod, and my SAM link was busted. Something to do with this dark energy cloud we hit?” Sanah’s face fell as she remembered,

                “Dad was awake just before we dropped out of FTL. When Captain Dunn ordered him to wake a skeleton crew for damage control he-,”

                “Brought you out? And-,” She fixed him with a stern look,

                “It’s not what you think, Khalad. There was damage to your pod, your revival process was interrupted. Harry and Lexi fussed over you for an hour to make sure your vitals were stable. Dad nearly wore a groove in the deck he was so worried!” Khalad tried not to pout, really he did. “Don’t make that face-,”

                “Pathfinder team to the bridge,” crackled from the intercom.

                “That’s Dunn, something must be up.” Sanah clapped Liam on the shoulder, making his legs buckle, “Stay out of trouble, Kosta.” Liam made an affirmative noise from behind gritted teeth and waved them on their way.

                “Do you always have to run everywhere?!” Her ragged yell came from several metres behind Khalad as the twins reached the staircase to the command deck. His answering laugh was cut short as a shiver coursed through the floor. Khalad’s feet abandoned the plating,

                “Ah shit, gravity’s gone again,” he moaned as his legs pinwheeled comically in mid-air, slowly flipping him upside-down. Sanah too was drifting, her toes a scant few inches from the deck, “Engage your mag-boots, you’re still close enough to the floor.” Sanah obliged and swayed forward as her feet came to a sudden stop.

                “That wall is coming up pretty fast, Khalad.” Twisting his whole body, he saw just in time the Andromeda Initiative logo bearing down upon him, and sighed,

                “I’m really not having a good day so far.” The bridge crew looked up at a muffled thud from beyond the door, followed by a trail of curses. A short while later, the doors parted and the pair of them strode smartly onto the bridge proper. The cyan glow of the holo-display casting his face in sinister shade, Alik Ryder looked up. Khalad waited, unsure of how to stand, where to look, as his father rounded the console. “Uh…sorry I’m la-,” But the breath was knocked from his lungs and Khalad felt his ribs creak under the crushing hug. Alik stepped back,

                “Glad to see you on your feet, son.” Khalad managed a quick nod,

                “Me too.”

                “We saw your little acrobatic display on the cameras, by the way,”

                “Goddamnit!” Alik laughed, wrinkles alighting in the corners of his eyes.

                “People, the task at hand?” Captain Dunn waved to the shimmering projection of the ark’s trajectory, “The _Hyperion_ may not be plunging from the sky in flames but we’re still stranded out here. Comms can’t seem to raise either the Nexus or any of the other arks.” Alik waved his hand and the display magnified the planet’s surface below the ark,

                “So, we’re marooned. Twenty-thousand souls adrift at sea. We’re a long way from Habitat 7, but you take any port when the storm hits, and our power reserves won’t last forever.” Dunn nodded gravely,

                “Indeed, time to live up to your title, Pathfinder. Take a team down to Habitat 3 and get me an aye or nay on viability. I’ll work on restoring functionality to all our systems.” Khalad looked at the tiny blue dot that represented the _Hyperion_ , then out the broad windows at the planet’s surface rolling beneath them,

                “What can we tell from up here? Atmosphere? Gravity? Biochemistry?”

                “Atmosphere is Earth-parallel, carbon-based ecology, gravity seems comfy enough. You shouldn’t have any problems just standing on the surface, at least.” Alik pushed back from the display,

                “Alright then, Sanah, Khalad, suit up. We’re wheels-up in thirty minutes.”

                Restless silence dominated the shuttle ride down from the _Hyperion_. Khalad examined the edge of his monomolecular sword against the light, thinking back to the day he attained the Master-level proficiency that qualified him to wield such a blade. _Never seen Dad more proud._ They’d gone for pizza afterwards, god he hoped it wouldn’t be long before those were a thing again. The folks on the Nexus were probably already enjoying all that stuff, if they even made it in the first plac- _Oh fuck, Dad’s talking to me_ …

                “-if things go south. Understood? Laddie? Earth to Khalad?” He sighed, “I need you to find a vantage point and watch our backs, lay down some covering fire if it all goes sideways.” Khalad rolled his shoulder, testing the weight of the Viper long-range rifle strapped to his back,

                “You can count on me.” The journey down through the atmosphere seized the craft in a fiery grip and all conversation was halted until the shaking subsided. White clouds hissed like silk over the shuttle’s charred hull, and parted to reveal a strange horizon. Beyond the mountains, the smouldering face of the gas giant reared large in the sky, its dull orange glow falling upon the neon forests. A ways ahead, Khalad saw a shining expanse of water, “How about a beach party?” Sanah and their father squinted at the oncoming coast, Alik smiled,

                “Those cliffs would make for a decent vantage point while Sanah and I assess the ecology of the land and sea, good shout, Laddie.” Khalad felt supremely glad his mask was concealing his face, and simply nodded.

                Grass bowed beneath the thin thrust plumes of the descending shuttle. The hatch slid back, and Khalad took a deep breath. The jungle ahead was dark, thrashing against the wind from the shuttle. He felt a hand on his shoulder, “First to set foot on a new world, even before the Pathfinder, not bad, huh?” The lad’s helmet, fashioned into a young man’s smiling face in white steel, turned a little towards Alik,

                “I’ll try not to get eaten,” Alik gave a brief laugh,

                “Good to know, we’ll be back to pick you up once we’ve determined viability.” Strange glassy leaves crunched under his boots. Khalad shielded his face from debris as the shuttle roared away from the clifftop, bound for the shoreline far below. A nano-weave hood and coat kept the drizzle from his hardsuit, and Khalad looked around. The trees seemed little different from those way back home, though the glowing leaves were pretty cool. A short walk along the cliff edge found him a pair of trees clinging to the stone just before the drop. A soft hollow of bare soil nestled between them, _good sight lines, level surface, yeah this’ll do_. He slung the rifle from his back and unfolded it, laying down in the hollow to test it. He quickly found the shuttle with the scope, touching down upon the sand. Two small figures stepped out, gazing around at the scenery. Sanah’s voice buzzed inside his helmet,

                “Okay, comms check, everyone on this channel?”

                “Comms are good,” Alik turned around, scanning the clifftop, “How’s the view, Laddie?”

                “Picturesque, it’d make for a nice postcard.”

                “Any activity?” The rifle scope raked the treeline from one end of the beach to the other,

                “Not a peep, you’ve got the place to yourselves for the moment.”

                “Excellent. Sanah, break out the field analysis kit, I’ll ping the _Hyperion_ and let them know we’ve made planetfall.”

                Gloved hands drummed on Khalad’s knees. “These algae samples can’t be normal…” Drops of rain beat a tune on the slick tree bark overhead,

                “The water seems ordinary though so it can’t be that…” An insistent beeping meant it was time for another sweep of the treeline, but the scope told him the same as it had for the past hour. No activity. “Could it be the anomaly? Dark energy causing mutations?” Alik’s reply was dour,

                “I couldn’t speculate given our limited data, but the prognosis is looking less and less optimistic.” Khalad sat up,

                “What’s going on, guys? Are we setting up a beach house or not?”

                “The volleyball tournament might have to wait. The flora samples we’ve gathered from the rock pools are showing unusual mutations, extreme even. Sanah, let’s take a look at the treeline, we need to know if this phenomenon crosses ecosystems.” Khalad’s scope followed the pair up to where the beach was swallowed by the jungle,

                “You’re both still good, no activity.” Long shadows were fading into being now, the faintest spark of blue-white crested the ocean horizon. He watched half-interested the two figures pottering between shrubs and ferns, his mind darting from here, to the _Hyperion_ , to the Nexus wherever it might be. Khalad started humming the first few bars of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Immigrant Song’, his hands tapping on the tree trunk, until a monotone voice broke through,

                “Khalad, I’m registering movement in your vicinity.” The song vanished,

                “Where, SAM?” His eyes darted from every shadowed hollow, every lightless patch of earth,

                “Unable to pinpoint the source, the target seems to masking itself from your suit’s optics.” One hand snapped around the sword-hilt at his waist,

                “Khalad here, SAM’s picked up movement near me but he can’t give me a precise fix. Target suspected to be utilising sensor jamming.” His father’s voice was calm, steady,

                “Acknowledged, stay sharp we’re coming to you.” SAM intruded once more,

                “Target is within twenty-five metres.” Khalad swallowed,

                “Hurry.”

                Every rustle of leaves made him start, every swaying frond became a prowling beast to his eyes. Khalad remained statue-still in the hollow, his eyes scouring the brush for this strange presence.

                “Khalad, the Pathfinder is at the base of the cliff, ETA eight minutes.” But the young man was staring into a shifting patch of fluorescent leaves, a pattern that swung around to stare right back. A pattern that sprang towards him. Alik and Sanah heard his yell over their comms,

                “Khalad!”

                “Laddie, what’s going on?!” The scrape of metal was the response, then sounds of panic,

                “SAM, what the fuck is that?! _SAM?!_ ”

                “Alert, Khalad, I’m detecting additional contacts.” Alik heard the sword sing, heard something screech in pain, “Khalad, there is a path on bearing two-seven-five, approximately thirty metres ahead there is a rise that would give you an advantage in fending them off.” Alarm flooded with renewed ferocity through Alik’s body,

                “Wait, Khalad stay put, I’m almost there!”

                “There is not enough time, Pathfinder,” SAM explained over their private channel, “Khalad’s odds of survival were only 33% at his initial location. The rise increases them to 56%, but I advise haste.”

                “What attacked him, SAM?!”

                “A group of native fauna, Pathfinder, predators that possess a natural cloaking ability. Their scales provide only minimal protection from a monomolecular blade, however. I suspect mass effect based weaponry would also be effective in dispatching them.”

                Turquoise blood sprayed in a great arc from the tip of the shining blade. One of the creatures folded up at Khalad’s feet, and he flourished his blade at the survivors,

                “C’mon then! Who wants to be next?!” He sidestepped as another lunged for him, the sword cleaving through tough hide until it met the skull.

                “Caution, Khalad, the ground beneath the rise is unstable.” A crowd of stones proved SAM’s point in their tumble down the steep drop beyond,

                “Are you trying to kill me too, SAM?!”

                “Quite the opposite, now please duck.” Claws ripped through empty air above Khalad’s head, “Upward counter.” Khalad growled in annoyance as the sword point lanced up under the beast’s jaw into its brain.

                “I _know_ how to fence, damnit!” He caught sight of two white-clad figures sprinting through the bushes towards him, only for a leaping mass of scales and teeth to block his view. The thing collided hard against him, and Alik was treated to the sight of his son vanishing over the precipice. The words, “Oh _fuck me_ …” came in the most resigned tone over the comms.

                Khalad’s world was a chaotic blur of black, purple and neon blue, punctuated by plants slamming into him. Then all was lightness and the rush of air,

                “Acceleration increasing,”

                “No kidding!” The gorge was deep enough that the bottom was lost in shadow. If he fell much further there would be no ledges to reach for. Khalad shut SAM out long enough to concentrate. Bright blue energy wrapped around him, each of his nerves resonating in unison to produce the biotic field, and his descent slowed to a crawl.

                “Quick thinking, Khalad. There is a ledge approximately forty metres ahead, I suggest you head there.” The jet-pack in his suit, insufficient for sustained flight, would nevertheless allow him to reach solid ground. Maintaining the mass effect field as he drifted towards it was sapping the strength from his limbs second by second, but at last he could collapse in a heap on the cliff edge. Khalad rolled onto his back and breathed deep; his arms and legs felt as though their bones had melted into jelly,

                “‘ _There are no strings on me_ …’” He sang, giggling weakly,

                “Shit, I think he’s delirious…Khalad?!” Everything sharpened and he bounced upright,

                “Oh, hey Sanah.”

                “Are you safe?” Alik’s voice had a slight tremor to it now, “I’m signalling the shuttle, we’re coming to get you now.” Khalad looked around, he was sat not just on a ledge but at the mouth of a lofty cavern. What he saw made him raise his sword again,

                “Uh, I guess I’m safe, but you guys should really come see this.” Even SAM’s voice held a tone of apprehension as he clarified,

                “We’ve discovered evidence of previous habitation, Pathfinder. Artificial structures not of Initiative origin.” There was a prolonged silence from the comms, then,

                “Understood, SAM, we’re on our way.”

                Sanah found her twin slumped against a perfectly smooth rectangular column. Her walk was stiff with concern, but his cheerful wave melted the ice in her veins and she gathered him up in a tight hug,

                “You _lunatic_ ,” she chided, “Just once can I be the one who falls into the some nonsense and have you pull me out?” He merely laughed, and she punched him in the chest,

                “Ow! Shouldn’t you be geeking out over the awesome ruins I found for you? The ones that prove we’re not the first people here?” Intellectual curiosity overtook Sanah’s need to annoy her brother.

                “True, these remind me a little of the Prothean digs I visited back in the Milky Way. The Prothean style was strange; advanced structures that somehow managed to look ancient. These, I think, are just ancient, but I’ll need to take samples for carbon-dating to know exactly how ancient.” She wandered away between the polished stone pillars, muttering to herself, and Khalad scrambled to his feet at his father’s approach. He could sense disapproval radiating from behind that tinted visor, and kept his back as straight as he could.

                “Laddie…I’m glad you’re alright,” _I’m sensing a ‘but’ coming_ , “but you really need to learn to focus, I can’t have every mission I bring you on turn into us putting out your fires.” Synthetic leather creaked as Khalad’s fingers tightened around the sword handle,

                “…Okay,” he mumbled to the dirt at his feet, “What do we tell th-,”

                “Pathfinder, we have a problem,” SAM interjected. Neither Alik nor Khalad had time to formulate a question before Sanah reappeared, slowly, with her hands spread. A hulking shadow followed closely behind, pointing a sleek pistol directly at the back of her head.

                Tension made the air as tar. Each one of them remained pinned where they stood, waiting, planning, preparing. The alien was an imposing being, broad-shouldered and a head taller than any of the humans. A curving helmet concealed the face, but a harsh voice barked words the translator could not discern. The emotion was clear, however. Anger, yes, but a refined shade of such. Outrage. Khalad looked from Sanah to their father, desperate for any kind of assurance.

                “SAM, what do we do?”

                “Be careful, there are five more aliens concealed in caves on the upper level. They are heavily armed.” Alik very slowly placed his Valkyrie rifle on the ground, and the alien growled more of its incomprehensible tongue at him,

                “Can you understand what they’re saying yet?”

                “I have little to no reference for deciphering an alien language, Khalad, even my translation matrices will need time and context before fluency can be achieved. Please try to remain still, we cannot anticipate what kind of body language could be construed as provocation.” Alik was speaking now, slowly, clearly, declaring their peaceful intentions, but the alien’s voice only grew louder and more hostile,

                “SAM, they’ve got a gun to Sanah’s head! I can’t just-“

                “If you make even the slightest aggressive movement your sister’s life would be imperilled. Alik won’t let her come to harm, Khalad.”

                “Dad?” Sanah’s voice quivered like a leaf in a gale. Alik licked dry lips,

                “Just…stay calm, Sunflower, first contact is always a dicey business.” Every nerve in Khalad’s body was firing, his arms and legs twitched like a marionette, ready to spring in every direction,

                “They’re not gonna back down, Dad, they’re gonna shoot her…”

                “Stay _calm_ , I said,” his father replied through gritted teeth, “let me think.”  SAM’s voice sprang into Khalad’s head again,

                “I detect rising adrenaline levels in the aliens, Khalad, the odds of resolving this peacefully are decreasing rapidly.”

                “Dad, they’re gearing up for a shootout, what should I do?” Alik carefully pushed his rifle away from him with one foot,

                “You can be quiet. We only get one chance to do this right. If you fuck this up we may regret it for as long as we stay in Heleus.” _‘If_ you _fuck this up’, thanks Dad._

                “A biotic toss would be non-lethal, o-or I could cloak and sneak around-“

                “I SAID BE QUIET, KHALAD!” Those words reverberated loudly off every rock, every cave wall and pillar, and all three knew immediately that Alik had made a mistake. Before Khalad’s eyes the world seemed to slow, and SAM’s voice cut in through the silence,

                “Khalad, I’ve triggered a massive release of adrenaline that will considerably increase your reaction speed for a time. Please, protect Sanah.” Lightning crackled between his fingers and Khalad launched a comet of biotic energy in a broad curve towards the alien holding Sanah hostage. The projectile slammed into them like a bullet and flung them like a doll thirty feet across the clearing,

                “Run, Sanah!” He drew his sword and dashed to her side, letting the aliens’ shots graze his shields. Khalad brandished his sword, light dancing upon its blade, at any who trod too near. Alik sprayed a hail of fire over the attackers’ heads,

                “Everyone into the shuttle, NOW!” Sanah made the hatch and Khalad, still with adrenaline flooding his system, saw a sniper lining up their shot. The lance of blue arrowed forth, and Khalad heard SAM’s voice in his head,

                “Deflecting counter,” he saw the sword swing down and across, saw the burst of sparks spring from the blade, and saw the projectile flung away. He saw it fly straight and true, to pierce another alien in the chest. Blue blood spattered the stone pillars. A lanky figure crashed to the ground and lay still. A strong arm seized him, threw him bodily into the shuttle, and then they were flying away.

                Deep breaths. _Deep but not deep enough._ His helmet was too tight, the air too sour. Khalad ripped his helmet free and gasped like a drowning man returned to the surface. His chest was tight, the breaths coming faster, _too fast_. SAM’s voice, coloured deeply with concern, fought through the choking mist, “Khalad, you are beginning to hyper-ventilate, you must slow your breathing or you will fall unconscious.” Someone was sitting in a chair nearby, a muffled voice straining to be heard. Wide eyes swivelled. A face, afraid, pale, shining with sweat,

                “Khalad? Khalad I’m okay,” One corner of his mouth twitched, almost a smile. Alik glared darkly down at his son, his mouth a thin line, his jaw tight,

                “What’s going on with him, SAM?”

                “Khalad is in shock, Pathfinder. I'm also detecting tendon damage in his left arm. A combination of the battle and the adrenaline boost I administered overtaxed his mind and body.”

                “You administered what? SAM I expect full disclosure of all combat enhancements before they’re applied! Care to explain your reasoning?”

                “I had hoped your negotiations would prevail, Pathfinder, but I felt it necessary to prepare a back-up plan.” Alik massaged the bridge of his nose with one hand,

                “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have snapped and started that whole fiasco.” SAM managed to sound sheepish,

                “My apologies, Pathfinder, I am still getting used to participating as part of a team. Please, do not place the blame solely on Khalad.” Anger still seared white-hot within him, “the twins are alive and unharmed, I simulated several dozen less favourable outcomes.” Alik sat heavily on a shuttle seat,

                “True enough. But our first alien contact ended in a firefight and it looks like this planet is a bust as far as viability is concerned. Any way you slice it, there’s no good news for the _Hyperion_.”


	2. Home Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Habitat 3 declared uninhabitable, the ark must find a new port at which to find shelter, while Khalad must try again to prove his worth to the Pathfinder.

“Beginning video-log, Wednesday 10th of August, 2819. Dad says that we should record these to document this rolling trainwreck. Long story short: I fucked it all up.” Khalad stared helplessly at the desk below the camera, “Dad’s pretty steamed, bu-but it’s not my fault! I saved Sanah while he was doing the whole ‘Captain Picard’ routine with those assholes!” His hands gesticulated wildly in his outrage, “It’s not my fault he yelled and spooked ‘em all, either! It’s not!” His arms dropped to the desk and Khalad spent a long moment looking blankly at his hands, “Then…there was something else that happened. There was a sniper, and I…I…” Shivering fingers curled tightly, and shining eyes looked into the camera, “You’d think saving my sister would mean not…feeling so _shitty_. It’s messed up! I didn’t mean to ki-!” His face froze mid-yell, a mask of anguish,

          “Do you wish to view the rest of the footage, Pathfinder?” Alik set the tablet lightly upon his desk,

          “No SAM, ten seconds of Sanah’s was bad enough, and then this? These logs are meant for them, I shouldn’t pry any further.”

          “Of course, although Khalad ended his video-log only a few seconds later.” Alik’s chest tightened and he sighed,

          “Sometimes I feel like I’m trying to shout across a canyon with him. Ellen always knew how to talk to him, Sanah too.” SAM hesitated before answering diplomatically,

          “I’m unsure an A.I. is qualified to give opinions on parenting techniques, Pathfinder.” Humour flickered through him,

          “Fair enough. The hard way it is, then.” Khalad’s miserable, faraway expression flashed in front of his eyes, “What did Lexi say about his arm, SAM?”

“Her examination proved the damage to his tendons was from overstress, Pathfinder.”

“Meaning?” SAM’s voice was quieter, melancholic,

“The fault is mine, Pathfinder, in the adrenaline boost I administered. Put simply, his arm moved so fast it nearly tore the tendons from the bone. I am truly sorry.” Alik sighed,

“Lexi says the damage is only moderate, SAM, nothing he won’t recover from.”

“Even so, my function is to aid in the Pathfinder team’s survival. My actions could have permanently damaged Khalad’s health.”

“You panicked, SAM, just learn from the experience and adapt, that’s how it is for us.” SAM didn’t answer, seemingly deep in thought.

Reports lay half-completed in front of him, they contained nothing good and Alik lacked the will at present to add to them. He couldn’t recall how many minutes had passed when his omni-tool chirped at an incoming message,

          “Alik? It’s Dunn, I need you on the bridge. We picked up a faint signal that could be the Nexus.” He sprang from the chair, scattering printouts in his wake,

          “On my way.”

          Soft blue shapes wove a slow dance across the ceiling, like rippling folds of silk. Below, Khalad lay on the floor with his head resting on his interlocked fingers. Dark eyes let the light blur and run together with the shadow. A primal rhythm blared from his headphones, drums, digeridoos, and a chorus of voices howling like wolves. He liked it. He imagined his ancestors dancing around some great pyre, worshipping the old gods. There had to be some of that left in him. In a way, he was not so dissimilar: A warrior of a wandering tribe, lost in strange lands, reliant only upon themselves. There were no shining cities here, no shopping malls or hospitals, no casinos or hotels. Just him and the wilderness. Khalad smiled in satisfaction, closed his eyes and listened to the wolves howl.

          “Pathfinder team to the bridge, repeat, Pathfinder team to the bridge.” Even through his headphones, he heard the announcement. The pyre vanished, and Khalad dragged his body upright. Memories from the planet felt like weights slung around his shoulders but he’d be damned if he was late this time. He pulled the headphones free with a sigh, and pressed the door panel.

          His route brought him to a junction, and Khalad nodded at Sanah coming the other way. He turned left and they fell easily into stride. His eyes flickered briefly in her direction,

          “I messaged you. Couple times.”

          “Didn’t feel like chatting.” Not sure whether to push it, or simply give up, Khalad mentally shrugged and took the plunge,

          “Are you angry at me?” Silence stretched out behind them. Sanah glanced once at him, then again and a third time before rolling her eyes,

          “Alright, no, I’m not! Now stop looking at me with those goddamn puppy eyes!” She joined in his wicked chuckling, “You kicked serious ass down there, and dragged me out of the fire.” Then sadness soured her smile, “But you need a win in your corner, soon, you’re treading on thin ice with Dad right now.” His eyes on the floor, Khalad nodded,

          “You’re on my side, though, right?” Sanah’s eyes rolled again in a perfect semi-circle,

          “There’s not supposed to _be_ sides, Laddie,” but Khalad brought the puppy eyes back with a vengeance and she groaned, “But _yes_ , I’ve gotta stand with my baby brother.”

          “ _Baby_? That’s not-!”

          “Maybe when you _act_ like you’re twenty years old, I won’t have to say it,” she fired back with a grin, and Khalad waved a hand as his concession of defeat.

          The bridge was much abuzz with activity at their entrance, far more so than before. Dunn stood holding one elbow in her opposite hand, running a finger along her jaw,

          “Helm, correct our orbit by five degrees and extend the starboard solar arrays, we’ll need all the juice we can get.” She spun on her heels as the twins approached,

          “That was fast, you’re here before your Dad. Has SAM filled you in?” Khalad shook his head blankly,

          “He’s been really cagey this past hour, must be analysing everything we got from Habitat 3.” Captain Dunn shrugged,

          “No matter, I’ll explain while we spin up the FTL drive.” Sanah frowned,

          “We going somewhere?”

          “Indeed we are,” Dunn smiled in the manner of one about to reveal an incredible surprise, “Comms picked up a faint signal from the Zheng He system. We think it’s the Nexus.” Elation flared within the twins,

          “Awesome! About time something went right…” Khalad trailed off as the doors behind him slid apart.

          “Ah, you filling them in, Dunn?” Alik strode onto the bridge to stand beside his children,

          “Thought we could all do with some good news, Alik.” The Pathfinder clasped his hands behind his back,

          “Whenever you’re ready, Captain Dunn.” The captain walked past her seat to the windows, and touched a finger to her omni-tool. Her command travelled the length of the ark from bow to stern,

          “Attention all hands. Stow all loose articles and secure all bulkheads, the ark will be making an FTL jump to rendezvous with possible Initiative assets. Strap yourselves in. Helm, break orbit and align to jump vector.” The glittering star-field swung to port as the _Hyperion_ heaved itself around. Khalad wrapped his fingers around the console’s hand-rail as the stars began to slow.

          “We are aligned, Captain.” _Please say ‘engage’, please say ‘engage’…_

“Execute FTL jump.” _Eh, close enough._ Khalad breathed deep, waiting. The sensation was a sudden and peculiar one. His entire being seemed to be pulled violently forward, only to snap back as though he were made of elastic. The stars were gone now, obscured by the shimmering silver surface of massless space. Khalad began to count his breaths, deep and slow.

 

_One…_

The sensor feed was just random noise, he _knew_ that it was. It was just the sound of interstellar material impacting the wavefront racing ahead of the ark, like raindrops on a windscreen.

 

_Two…_

But sometimes low murmurs would pierce the static, like wind in a chimney and a shiver would course through him.

 

_Three…_

Maybe it was just the anomaly, random flashes of dark energy. Khalad shut his eyes, trying to block it out.

 

_Four…_

_Five…Six, Seven, Eig-_

“Can someone shut that thing off?!” The bridge fell silent. Khalad opened his eyes. Everyone was looking his way. He fidgeted, turning his eyes to the deck. Dunn looked helplessly from him to Sanah, who pinched the bridge of her noise with a sigh,

          “The sensor feed, Captain. FTL chatter weirds him out.” Dunn shrugged and muted the feed,

          “Doesn’t matter, we’ll hit the Zheng He system in a few seconds. All hands brace for deceleration.”

Reality stretched out and back in a flash and blue light poured through the windows. It was a splendid scene, a cerulean star bathed the entire system in its glow. Space looked like water, like a tropical lagoon.

          “Just like my mood-light,” Khalad observed, “Think there’s anyone out there?” Everyone gathered around the main display as comms raked every frequency for signs of life. Then, the display opened a new window, displaying a shifting waveform,

          “That’s an Initiative frequency!” Morale on the bridge soared. Sanah pointed to the system map,

          “Look there, it’s coming from that gas giant! There’s something hiding in the upper atmosphere, could be an ark, could be the Nexus; the magnetic field is scrambling the LADAR feed.” Her spirits renewed, Dunn ordered a course be laid in.

          The cheer did not last. It was growing apparent as the ark neared its destination that things had not gone as planned. Khalad joined his sister at the window, eyes wide despite the sun’s fierce glare,

          “It’s…it’s a wreck.” Stricken and sundered, the Nexus hung askew above the hissing clouds, impaled on the crackling tendrils of the anomaly. Alik was scrolling through sensor readouts,

          “Thermal scans show minimal power across most of the station, with heat spikes spread out across the docking ring. Someone’s alive in there, we need to know who and how many. Sanah, Khalad, go grab Harper and Kosta and get prepped for a recon mission.” The twins nodded in unison. This wasn’t like the mission to Habitat 3, Khalad felt no boyish excitement, no wonder at the unknown waiting for him. The image of the Nexus pierced by the anomaly like a butterfly pinned on some collector’s display, its portholes and docking bays lightless and empty, invited no glad feelings.

          “Laddie, Sanah, good to see you in one piece,” Cora’s soft voice made them both smile as they approached the waiting shuttle, “Heard what happened down on Habitat 3,” Khalad braced himself, _Cora’s a professional, she wouldn’t have lost her mi-,_ “As far as first contact’s go, it wasn’t the worst. Not great, but everyone came back alive.” _Not everyone_ , was the intruding thought. His glum mood must have shown itself on his face because Cora clapped a hand on his arm, “Chin up, Ryder, and put your game-face on. We’re going for a one hundred percent success on this one.” Her smile helped, and Khalad gathered his gear with a little more enthusiasm. Liam was sprawled against the forward bulkhead as he boarded the shuttle,

          “Ryder! Ready for another adventure?” He offered up his hand for a fist-bump, which Ryder gladly reciprocated, “I’ve got to admit, it looks a mess out there, here’s hoping there’s still people left to rescue.” Sanah took her place beside her brother, helmet already secured,

          “If only we could, the _Hyperion_ doesn’t exactly have room to spare right now. I’ll just be glad to find a working pizza oven.” Liam’s eyes lit up,

          “You’d better be right, I haven’t had a decent pizza in ages.”

          “Six hundred years, you could say,” Khalad countered with his best smug grin,

          “That’s way too long to be without pizza, we need to remedy this situation.” Khalad secured his own helmet and buckled in,

          “Toppings? I’d have to go double pepperoni,”

          “As long as it has jalapenos I’m good, Sanah?”

          “Spicy pork and peppers.” Alik jumped aboard the shuttle just as it rose from the deck, taking his place with a brief greeting,

          “Morning all, everything secure?” Khalad, his spirits buoyed for the moment, nodded towards his father,

          “Yup. Come on, Dad, we’re talking pizzas, what’s your first choice when we get to the Nexus?” Alik feigned serious consideration,

          “I think I’m gonna go with Hawaiian,” the shuttle erupted with protestations of disgust,

          “Shunned! _Shunned!_ ” Liam shook his fist at the Pathfinder, and Khalad laughed,

          “Shun the blasphemer!” Alik chuckled as he secured himself in his seat, “SAM? What about you?”

          “Pineapple does contain a variety of helpful vitamins-,” there were mock gasps from the crew,

          “SAM, how could you?!” Sanah shook her head at Alik,

          “I think this AI’s broken, Dad, you’re gonna have to build a new one from scratch.” Hangar lights were swept away and the shuttle roared out into the void. The ark tumbled sluggishly as the shuttle re-orientated itself for a landing in one of the Nexus’ many, many docking bays. All around them the station loomed, like a vast cavern of metal and glass, dark windows stared unblinking at their approach and Khalad shivered despite his suit.

          No shimmer of blue crackled along the shuttle’s hull upon touchdown,

          “Kinetic barriers are offline, everyone check their helmets are secure before we move out.” Alik unbuckled himself as the hangar deck clanged against the shuttle hull, “Yeah, sensors are definitely reading vacuum out there. Stay sharp and keep your guns close, here we go.” Vast and silent, the hangar was filled with the rich blue glow of the gas giant, and Khalad imagined this was what being in a fish tank felt like,

          “SAM? You there?”

          “Always, Khalad, though you need not whisper on our private channel,”

          “Just habit, SAM. Can I ask about Dad? Is he…am I…did he say anything, about the mission before?”

          “He was concerned about your injuries, but I assured him you would be well enough for this mission.” Khalad opened his mouth to say more, but the team had reached the airlock, its outer door askew and riddled with scorch marks. Alik shone the torch on his rifle across the damage,

          “SAM? What’s your analysis?”

          “A breaching charge, Pathfinder, and some weapons fire. The airlock itself is unoccupied, however. I recommend caution.” Alik led them into the airlock, a cramped space after the cavernous hangar,

          “So we’ve got evidence of a hostile intrusion, no telling who’s in control of the station right now. First priority is to get to the Operations Centre and find out.” Sanah shone her omni-tool over the damaged airlock door,

          “SAM? Can you tell what kind of weapons caused the damage here?”

          “The damage is inconsistent with Milky Way armaments, the chemical residue suggests some kind of contained plasma projectile.”

          “Alien, then,”

          “Some as-yet unknown Initiative technology is another possibility.” Alik shook his head,

          “No, I reviewed every pistol, shotgun and rifle loaded onto this station. Even so, we still need to reach the Operations Centre, then we worry about who we’re dealing with.” Khalad squared his shoulders,

          “And if we run into any unwelcome guests? What are the engagement procedures?”

          “The Nexus is the key to our success in Andromeda, we can’t risk surrendering it to a hostile group. If they shoot, take them out. If you get the drop on them, try to subdue and restrain, maybe we can get some intel along the way.” Alik began cycling the airlocks, “Cora, can you keep a seal on the outer door while we get inside?” The lieutenant nodded and the airlock became filled with bright violet light,

          “Not a problem,” shifting patterns of energy bridged the jagged gap in the outer door, “seal is in place.” Vapour rushed in through the vents and Khalad felt pressure begin to build on the outside of his suit. A hand clapped onto his shoulder and Alik looked hard into his eyes,

          “Keep that sword ready, Khalad, watch my back and keep Sanah safe, you hear me?” Khalad’s mouth thinned and he swallowed,

          “I won’t let you down.” Fingers squeezed and his father’s eyes wrinkled at the corners,

          “Good man.” A chime from the door panel signalled full pressurisation, “Alright, move out, Pathfinder team.”

          Like Theseus in the Labyrinth, Khalad and his team wandered the darkened halls of the Nexus, all the while listening for the Minotaur. Alik had ordered banter be kept to a minimum in case of an ambush, and Khalad understood, but wished heartily for his headphones so he could fill the maddening silence. Ahead he saw Cora, her shotgun roving back and forth across the deserted corridor,

          “Tram station is a hundred metres ahead, so far so good.” Alik’s torch darted towards every bulkhead shadow, every stack of crates not yet stored away,

          “I’m not seeing any signs of resistance, or any combat at all. SAM, can you re-route any of the security footage to a tram station terminal?”

          “Negative, Pathfinder, network access has been revoked from all terminals save for those in the Operations Centre.” Cora punched the door panel to the tram station, shotgun primed to bifurcate any unlucky soul waiting on the other side.

          “Tram station’s clear.” The tunnel loomed as a gaping black maw in both directions. Khalad tried not to look into the dark as he prodded at the display. Blinking red warnings smugly denied them passage,

          “Damnit, locked. Looks like whoever’s in charge wanted to keep anyone else from getting to Operations.” Sanah scanned the panel with her omni-tool, but SAM had no answers for her,

          “Well, _yeah_. But we’ve got to get it working again, unless you feel like walking,”

          “Okay, how about this? I work the pedals while you guys get out and push.” She punched him, “Hey! Alright, how about we fool the tram systems into thinking there’s an emergency? That should override the lockdown, right? Tell it the hydroponics are on fire or something.” Sanah shrugged as Alik called from the corridor beyond,

          “How’s our ride coming, guys?”

          “We’re trying a fire!” Khalad yelled back. He could just picture his father’s face as Alik tried not to assume the worst,

          “Alright then. Let me know how that goes!” Sanah was shaking her head with a smile as she navigated the many functions and gateways of the emergency failsafe,

          “Honestly you only have yourself to blame, sometimes.”

          Metal heels rapped against the tram windows. From Khalad’s perspective, Sanah stood calmly on the ceiling, tapping away at her omni-tool,

          “It’s been ten minutes, Sanah! Are you ordering takeout for the whole ark or something?” In the airy tone of a patient soul well used to being rushed, Sanah answered,

          “I’d love to explain the intricacies of instructing a single tram that a massive fire is raging through the station, _without_ triggering every alarm from here to the _Hyperion_ , but since I know exactly who I’m speaking to, I think I’ll-,” the display abruptly changed colour to a vivid red, “Got it!” Khalad rolled to his feet, and felt the blood rushing from his head,

          “Dad, we’re in business!”

          They made it halfway to the Operations Centre when the tram suddenly groaned to a halt. Khalad saw only blackness and felt a crushing weight upon him, until Liam rolled off with a grunt of pain. The team as one looked out of the front window,

          “Yeah, that’ll do it,” Khalad said resignedly, “big pile of wreckage beats tram.” Alik strode up to the obstructing mess of braces, panels and wires,

          “SAM?”

          “None of the wreckage is listed as part of the tram tunnel, Pathfinder, it was placed here deliberately.”

          “Can we clear it?”

          “The obstruction is several metres thick, even a dedicated engineering crew would take several hours to clear it.”

          “Then we go around, where’s the closest maintenance access?” An arrow blinked on Alik’s visor, and he waved to the team, “On me, Pathfinder team, we go on foot from here.”

          Low red lighting was the constant in the hidden sections of the tunnel. The team kept close, not out of fear, but out of uncomfortable necessity and Khalad lost count of the times he came very close to cracking his head on a low brace.

          “Is it much further?” He growled,

          “We’re all bored, Khalad,” Sanah sighed,

          “Stow the chatter, you two, the exit’s four hundred metres ahead.” Khalad’s eyes rolled to the ceiling,

          “Oh, _only_ four hundred metres, I really wi-,” The breath was knocked from his lungs as he collided with Sanah’s back, she having walked into Liam as he bounced off of Alik, the Pathfinder having stopped suddenly,

          “Tracker’s showing movement in the room ahead, game faces on, people.” The walkway split into two a ways ahead, leading to two separate grates. “Khalad, check out the right-hand grate and be _quiet_.” All humour had left the young man, who nodded,

          “Understood,” _almost all humour_ , “going sneaky.” The buzz of static accompanied the refraction field enveloping his body, rendering him all but invisible. Alik watched the odd, Khalad-shaped distortion creep towards the rightmost path, “Liam, shadow him, forty metres behind. Cora, Sanah, we’ll take the other grate.”

          The hum of his tactical cloak kept the silence at bay, as did the pinging of his tracker, which only grew in pitch and tempo. His hand closed around the sword-hilt. There was indeed someone in the corridor beyond, even through the grate he could hear a low, fevered muttering. A terminal, active and connected, chirped and chattered under the attentions of a figure in red. Pressing up against the mesh, he squinted in the abysmal light. They _seemed_ human, they had the right number of arms and legs, but from the back it was difficult to-. A crash of metal on metal made him jump and the room was filled with shouting in a tongue he didn’t understand. The red-clad figure was set upon by two hulking shadows, their hands held out in surrender, and forced to the floor amidst desperate pleading.

          “Khalad,” SAM interjected,

          “Not now, SAM!”

          “Those are the same aliens as from Habitat 3,” the AI insisted, “I fear their intentions for that man.” Indeed, one of the aliens brought the butt of their rifle down on the stranger’s collarbone with a crack, and Khalad felt his lip curl.

          From the floor, pain blazing in his chest, the stranger watched the alien raise their rifle again. He shut his eyes. Then, the crash of a booted foot against metal and a strange voice shouting,

          “NO YOU DON’T, FUCKSTICKS!” He opened his eyes to see…a shadow leaping from an access grate and launching a bolt of blue energy at the hulking alien, sending them flying down the corridor. An invisible sword blade caught the barest trace of light, arcing around to slice the other alien’s rifle in half. Another stranger leapt from the grate, brandishing a rifle which spat fire into their foe. A raw-throated yell of anguish echoed in the room, the first alien looked down at their fallen comrade. Wasting no time, Khalad let fly another biotic attack. This one did not fling them away, however, but seized and dragged them back. Back towards the flashing blade as it swung around. Blue blood coated the wall and floor, speckled the face of the stranger picking himself up from the floor. One hand covered what would certainly turn out to be a spectacular bruise on his collarbone, broken breaths spilling from his mouth,

          “Appreciate the save, mate, but who the hell are you?”

          “Huh, oh right, the cloak.” Static crackled as the refraction field vanished, “Khalad Ryder, ark _Hyperion_.” Wonder rushed to the man’s face, followed by a smirk,

          “Took you long enough, you make a wrong turn somewhere?”

          “Yeah, actually, we ended up at Habitat 3 after we hit some freaky space anomaly. The ark’s outside waiting right now. And who the hell are you?” Gloved hands wiped blood from his face,

          “Gil Brodie, engineer, if in name only. Bet you’ve got a few more questions.”

          “Yeah,” Alik joined the pair, “How about ‘what the hell are _they_ ,” the rifle swung over to the dead intruders, “doing on the Nexus?’ And what’s the situation in Operations?” Gil scrubbed the back of his head sheepishly,

          “It’s…a long story, I was only awake for part of it. It started pretty much the moment we dropped out of FTL, I’m told. Ran headlong into the Scourge, the…anomaly. Lot of folks died, even Garson,”

          “Wait, Jien is dead?” Alik sounded shaken, “How?” Gil spread his hands helplessly,

          “Dunno, no-one really knows except for the top brass, what’s left of it.”

          “So who _is_ in charge now?” The engineer’s face twisted in contempt,

          “Jarun Tann is the new Director.”

          “Moneybags?” Sanah said, her mouth fighting not to grin too broadly, “It’s a wonder this place isn’t _actually_ on fire. Who else is left?”

          “Well Addison is still kicking, out of spite more than anything else. And Kesh, obviously. Guy named Kandros is the head of our militia.” Alik grimaced at Addison’s name,

          “Needs must, I guess. We still need to reach Operations, let’s do it quick and quiet. Khalad, put your cloak back on and take point.”

          The journey towards Operations was a tense one. Gil crept carefully in the centre of their huddle. At his right, Sanah darted her pistol between every shadowed recess and alcove,

          “So what were you doing out by yourself? Didn’t they give you a guard, if you knew there were aliens prowling around?”

          “They weren’t supposed to be anywhere near me. We contained them in a section further along the docking ring, or we thought we had. Those two must’ve got out somehow.”

          “How long have they been here?”

          “About a week. We’ve been keeping to ourselves so it took them a while to find us here.” The group arrived at a darkened crossroads, “It isn’t far now, take the right-hand path. There’s an arcade between here and the Ops Centre, lots of open space.”

          “Perfect for an ambush,” Cora growled, “I’ll go in first, Khalad right behind with his tactical cloak. I’ll draw any fire while you circle around.” As the door loomed out of the murk, Khalad sidled up to Gil,

          “You know how many bad guys we’re dealing with here?” Gil shrugged,

          “There were only two ships, but it could still be up to a dozen.” Alik pressed up against the bulkhead beside the door,

          “Then we do this as quietly as we can. If the room is clear we head straight for Ops, no games of hide-and-seek.” He waved his hand over the door panel and the metal hissed back into the bulkheads, baring a wall of impenetrable darkness. “Cora, Khalad, you’re up.” Wreathed once again by the light-refracting shroud, Khalad stepped across the threshold. Past a half-dozen shuttered store-fronts, he could make out the shadowed recess of another door, their destination. Between he and it, a threatening expanse of open space, like some high, narrow mountain pass. Still, it was a path he had to walk. Despite his cloak, Khalad hugged the darkness beneath the columns, keeping his steps feather-light and his breathing slow. “How’re we doing, Laddie? Any movement?” Khalad crouched beside a withered fern planter,

          “Well unless they’re disguising themselves as dead plants or magazine stands, I think we’re clear. You guys can move up now.” Hurried feet on the metal, torches danced over the sleeping facades. Cora strode down the centre, defiant of any waiting assassin. Too late her torchlight jumped up to the mezzanine, and a blue lance split her shield like an egg. The group erupted in panic as a half-dozen rifles sprayed plasma fire upon the floor. Sanah threw herself on top of Gil, her pistol spitting fire in a crazed arc, forcing their attackers to duck. A frenzied beeping came to her ears and she saw a silver sphere sail from Alik’s hand to the upper level,

          “Everyone down!” A wall of air crashed against her suit as a shiver coursed through the floor. Through the smoke, Sanah saw…nothing, the smoke parted around some unseen figure that had launched itself towards the mezzanine.

          Khalad’s hand caught the railing as he shot past, curving his body over the railing. The deck hit his boots with a crack and he flourished his sword at the four surviving aliens, feeling the air crackle as it passed over his cloaking field. The ambushers hesitated, disarmed by the shifting phantom rushing towards them, and sound filtered away from his perceptions. Their frantic plasma shots should have whistled as they lanced past his head, Alik’s rifle should have snapped viciously from below, Cora’s biotics should have hissed and blazed against the dark. He felt none of it, heard none of it. Khalad heard only the blood roaring in his head. The sword struck, eagerly spilling blue blood upon the metal. He only felt his breath, hot and ragged against his throat. The world had shrunk to the sliver of light upon the blade, he merely had to guide it to where it was needed. A plasma bolt struck his shield and the cloak faltered, peeling away like gossamer. If the aliens found the smiling white mask of his helmet less disconcerting than a murderous ghost, they offered no sign.

          Sanah watched her brother dispatch the rest of the attackers, wearing a mask of her own, one of disbelief. Khalad rose to full height, breathless from the fight,

          “That’s all of them, guys, let’s get moving.” He swung over the railing and thudded to the floor below, sheathing the sword with practiced swiftness. “Cora? God, are you okay?” A scorched rent had been carved into Cora’s faceplate by the sniper’s shot, just over her brow,

          “Eh, they missed,” she shrugged, “occupational hazard for a Pathfinder team. I’ll work on upgrading our shields to be more resistant to their weapons, once we get some downtime.” Adrenaline slowly drained from all their systems as the minutes ticked by and they made for the opposite door. Khalad’s easy stride was interrupted by his sister sliding into step beside him,

          “Hey, big sis, you okay? Thought that sniper coulda gone for you next.” His voice seemed dull, not a tone she recognised from him,

          “Yeah, I think I leapt on top of Gil to keep my own head just as much.” A deep breath, “that was…pretty scary, up on that mezzanine.”

          “What?” Her eyes refused to leave the deck, _I don’t wanna look at that stupid mask right now_.

          “I…it’s just…I’ve never seen you kill anyone before. That’s not my baby brother.”

          “Well, I…I had to, they would’ve shot you, like they nearly did on Habitat 3.” There was a bit more life in his voice now, though that brought her no comfort,

          “Yeah, I get that. Still freaked me out, though, you going all ninja-assassin like that.” An intake of breath came over the comm, uncertain, then nothing. They turned a corner into a wall of light and shouting.

          “Hold! Nexus security!” A squad of soldiers levelled rifles at the group. Alik slung his Valkyrie onto his back and held out his hands,

          “Hey, check your aim, we’re _Hyperion_. We need to get to Ops right away!” Murmurs of disbelief scattered throughout the squad, until a commanding voice cut through the chatter,

          “Well well, what have we here?” The lights swung aside as a stern-looking turian strode to meet them, “Tiran Kandros, Nexus Chief of Security. You’re late to the party, _Pathfinder_.”

**Author's Note:**

> This story stems from my opinion that the base game makes grievous mistakes in killing Ryder Sr. so early on, and keeping the NPC Ryder twin locked in a coma for most of the game.


End file.
